diff --git a/cluster.go b/cluster.go
index 9287c68f..43694e71 100644
--- a/cluster.go
+++ b/cluster.go
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ func (cluster *mongoCluster) syncServer(server *mongoServer) (info *mongoServerI
 			continue
 		}
 		err = cluster.isMaster(socket, &result)
-		socket.Release()
+		socket.Release(0)
 		if err != nil {
 			tryerr = err
 			logf("SYNC Command 'ismaster' to %s failed: %v", addr, err)
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ func (cluster *mongoCluster) syncServersIteration(direct bool) {
 // AcquireSocket returns a socket to a server in the cluster.  If slaveOk is
 // true, it will attempt to return a socket to a slave server.  If it is
 // false, the socket will necessarily be to a master server.
-func (cluster *mongoCluster) AcquireSocket(mode Mode, slaveOk bool, syncTimeout time.Duration, socketTimeout time.Duration, serverTags []bson.D, poolLimit int) (s *mongoSocket, err error) {
+func (cluster *mongoCluster) AcquireSocket(mode Mode, slaveOk bool, syncTimeout time.Duration, socketTimeout time.Duration, serverTags []bson.D, poolLimit, poolUnusedLimit int) (s *mongoSocket, err error) {
 	var started time.Time
 	var syncCount uint
 	warnedLimit := false
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ func (cluster *mongoCluster) AcquireSocket(mode Mode, slaveOk bool, syncTimeout
 			err := cluster.isMaster(s, &result)
 			if err != nil || !result.IsMaster {
 				logf("Cannot confirm server %s as master (%v)", server.Addr, err)
-				s.Release()
+				s.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 				cluster.syncServers()
 				time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 				continue
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 71919ce9..b38d6b37 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ func (server *mongoServer) AcquireSocket(poolLimit int, timeout time.Duration) (
 				// closed in the meantime
 				if server.closed {
 					server.Unlock()
-					socket.Release()
+					socket.Release(0)
 					socket.Close()
 					return nil, abended, errServerClosed
 				}
@@ -205,12 +205,24 @@ func (server *mongoServer) Close() {
 }
 
 // RecycleSocket puts socket back into the unused cache.
-func (server *mongoServer) RecycleSocket(socket *mongoSocket) {
+func (server *mongoServer) RecycleSocket(socket *mongoSocket, poolUnusedLimit int) {
 	server.Lock()
-	if !server.closed {
-		server.unusedSockets = append(server.unusedSockets, socket)
+	defer server.Unlock()
+
+	if server.closed {
+		return
 	}
-	server.Unlock()
+
+	// If the number of unused sockets is too high, we just close this one.
+	// This won't close existing connections, and it's possible that we could
+	// still end up with a high watermark of unused sockets, but it should lead
+	// to a reduction if there is a sustained period of low usage.
+	if poolUnusedLimit > 0 && len(server.unusedSockets) > poolUnusedLimit {
+		socket.Close()
+		return
+	}
+
+	server.unusedSockets = append(server.unusedSockets, socket)
 }
 
 func removeSocket(sockets []*mongoSocket, socket *mongoSocket) []*mongoSocket {
@@ -319,7 +331,7 @@ func (server *mongoServer) pinger(loop bool) {
 					max = server.pingWindow[i]
 				}
 			}
-			socket.Release()
+			socket.Release(0)
 			server.Lock()
 			if server.closed {
 				loop = false
diff --git a/session.go b/session.go
index 9f326d93..e7ca1be7 100644
--- a/session.go
+++ b/session.go
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ type Session struct {
 	dialCred              *Credential
 	creds                 []Credential
 	poolLimit             int
+	poolUnusedLimit       int
 	bypassValidation      bool
 	sessionId             bson.Binary
 	nextTransactionNumber int64
@@ -415,6 +416,10 @@ type DialInfo struct {
 	// See Session.SetPoolLimit for details.
 	PoolLimit int
 
+	// PoolUnusedLimit defines the limit for the number of unused sockets
+	// in the pool. Defaults to 0, meaning no limit.
+	PoolUnusedLimit int
+
 	// DialServer optionally specifies the dial function for establishing
 	// connections with the MongoDB servers.
 	DialServer func(addr *ServerAddr) (net.Conn, error)
@@ -491,6 +496,9 @@ func DialWithInfo(info *DialInfo) (*Session, error) {
 	if info.PoolLimit > 0 {
 		session.poolLimit = info.PoolLimit
 	}
+	if info.PoolUnusedLimit > 0 {
+		session.poolUnusedLimit = info.PoolUnusedLimit
+	}
 	cluster.Release()
 
 	// People get confused when we return a session that is not actually
@@ -674,22 +682,21 @@ func (db *Database) GridFS(prefix string) *GridFS {
 // use an ordering-preserving document, such as a struct value or an
 // instance of bson.D.  For instance:
 //
-//     db.Run(bson.D{{"create", "mycollection"}, {"size", 1024}})
+//	db.Run(bson.D{{"create", "mycollection"}, {"size", 1024}})
 //
 // For privilleged commands typically run on the "admin" database, see
 // the Run method in the Session type.
 //
 // Relevant documentation:
 //
-//     http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Commands
-//     http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/List+of+Database+CommandSkips
-//
+//	http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Commands
+//	http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/List+of+Database+CommandSkips
 func (db *Database) Run(cmd interface{}, result interface{}) error {
 	socket, err := db.Session.acquireSocket(true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	defer socket.Release(0)
 
 	// This is an optimized form of db.C("$cmd").Find(cmd).One(result).
 	return db.run(socket, cmd, result)
@@ -738,7 +745,7 @@ func (s *Session) Login(cred *Credential) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	defer socket.Release(0)
 
 	credCopy := *cred
 	if cred.Source == "" {
@@ -1804,6 +1811,16 @@ func (s *Session) SetPoolLimit(limit int) {
 	s.m.Unlock()
 }
 
+// SetPoolUnusedLimit sets the maximum number of unused sockets in the pool
+// before the pool starts closing the least recently used sockets.
+// The default limit is 0, which means that sockets are never closed until
+// the pool limit is reached.
+func (s *Session) SetPoolUnusedLimit(limit int) {
+	s.m.Lock()
+	s.poolUnusedLimit = limit
+	s.m.Unlock()
+}
+
 // SetBypassValidation sets whether the server should bypass the registered
 // validation expressions executed when documents are inserted or modified,
 // in the interest of preserving invariants in the collection being modified.
@@ -3219,13 +3236,14 @@ func (q *Query) One(result interface{}) (err error) {
 	session.m.RLock()
 	txn := session.transaction
 	startTxn := txn != nil && !txn.started
+	poolUnusedLimit := session.poolUnusedLimit
 	session.m.RUnlock()
 
 	socket, err := session.acquireSocket(true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	defer socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 
 	op.limit = -1
 
@@ -3593,6 +3611,7 @@ func (q *Query) Iter() *Iter {
 	session.m.RLock()
 	txn := session.transaction
 	startTxn := txn != nil && !txn.started
+	poolUnusedLimit := session.poolUnusedLimit
 	session.m.RUnlock()
 
 	iter := &Iter{
@@ -3612,7 +3631,7 @@ func (q *Query) Iter() *Iter {
 		iter.err = err
 		return iter
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	defer socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 
 	session.prepareQuery(&op)
 	op.replyFunc = iter.op.replyFunc
@@ -3690,6 +3709,7 @@ func (q *Query) Tail(timeout time.Duration) *Iter {
 	session := q.session
 	op := q.op
 	prefetch := q.prefetch
+	poolUnusedLimit := session.poolUnusedLimit
 	q.m.Unlock()
 
 	iter := &Iter{session: session, prefetch: prefetch}
@@ -3715,7 +3735,7 @@ func (q *Query) Tail(timeout time.Duration) *Iter {
 			iter.err = err
 			iter.m.Unlock()
 		}
-		socket.Release()
+		socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 	}
 	return iter
 }
@@ -3777,7 +3797,7 @@ func (iter *Iter) Close() error {
 	if err == nil {
 		// TODO Batch kills.
 		err = socket.Query(&killCursorsOp{[]int64{cursorId}})
-		socket.Release()
+		socket.Release(iter.session.poolUnusedLimit)
 	}
 
 	iter.m.Lock()
@@ -4040,15 +4060,16 @@ func (iter *Iter) acquireSocket() (*mongoSocket, error) {
 		// to primary. Our cursor is in a specific server, though.
 		iter.session.m.Lock()
 		sockTimeout := iter.session.sockTimeout
+		poolUnusedLimit := iter.session.poolUnusedLimit
 		iter.session.m.Unlock()
-		socket.Release()
+		socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 		socket, _, err = iter.server.AcquireSocket(0, sockTimeout)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		err := iter.session.socketLogin(socket)
 		if err != nil {
-			socket.Release()
+			socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -4066,7 +4087,10 @@ func (iter *Iter) getMore() {
 		iter.err = err
 		return
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	iter.session.m.RLock()
+	poolUnusedLimit := iter.session.poolUnusedLimit
+	iter.session.m.RUnlock()
+	defer socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 
 	debugf("Iter %p requesting more documents", iter)
 	if iter.limit > 0 {
@@ -4611,14 +4635,14 @@ func (s *Session) acquireSocket(slaveOk bool) (*mongoSocket, error) {
 	}
 
 	// Still not good.  We need a new socket.
-	sock, err := cluster.AcquireSocket(s.consistency, slaveOk && s.slaveOk, s.syncTimeout, s.sockTimeout, s.queryConfig.op.serverTags, s.poolLimit)
+	sock, err := cluster.AcquireSocket(s.consistency, slaveOk && s.slaveOk, s.syncTimeout, s.sockTimeout, s.queryConfig.op.serverTags, s.poolLimit, s.poolUnusedLimit)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Authenticate the new socket.
 	if err = s.socketLogin(sock); err != nil {
-		sock.Release()
+		sock.Release(s.poolUnusedLimit)
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
@@ -4657,7 +4681,7 @@ func (s *Session) handleNotPrimaryWrite(on *mongoSocket) {
 	s.m.RUnlock()
 	s.m.Lock()
 	if s.masterSocket == on {
-		s.masterSocket.Release()
+		s.masterSocket.Release(s.poolUnusedLimit)
 		s.masterSocket = nil
 	}
 	s.m.Unlock()
@@ -4687,11 +4711,14 @@ func (s *Session) setSocket(socket *mongoSocket) {
 
 // unsetSocket releases any slave and/or master sockets reserved.
 func (s *Session) unsetSocket() {
+	s.m.RLock()
+	poolUnusedLimit := s.poolUnusedLimit
+	s.m.RUnlock()
 	if s.masterSocket != nil {
-		s.masterSocket.Release()
+		s.masterSocket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 	}
 	if s.slaveSocket != nil {
-		s.slaveSocket.Release()
+		s.slaveSocket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 	}
 	s.masterSocket = nil
 	s.slaveSocket = nil
@@ -4808,7 +4835,10 @@ func (c *Collection) writeOp(op interface{}, ordered bool) (lerr *LastError, err
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	defer socket.Release()
+	s.m.RLock()
+	poolUnusedLimit := s.poolUnusedLimit
+	s.m.RUnlock()
+	defer socket.Release(poolUnusedLimit)
 	defer func() {
 		if IsNotPrimaryError(err) {
 			s.handleNotPrimaryWrite(socket)
diff --git a/socket.go b/socket.go
index 0df7939a..d792f618 100644
--- a/socket.go
+++ b/socket.go
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ func (socket *mongoSocket) Acquire() (info *mongoServerInfo) {
 
 // Release decrements a socket reference. The socket will be
 // recycled once its released as many times as it's been acquired.
-func (socket *mongoSocket) Release() {
+func (socket *mongoSocket) Release(poolUnusedLimit int) {
 	socket.Lock()
 	if socket.references == 0 {
 		panic("socket.Release() with references == 0")
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ func (socket *mongoSocket) Release() {
 		socket.LogoutAll()
 		// If the socket is dead server is nil.
 		if server != nil {
-			server.RecycleSocket(socket)
+			server.RecycleSocket(socket, poolUnusedLimit)
 		}
 	} else {
 		socket.Unlock()